An Association of Varicella Zoster Virus, Facial Palsy, and Meningitis in a Young Immunocompetent Male

Amr Ashour; Khaldun Obeidat; Bahjat Azrieh; Arwa Alsaud; Mohamed Yassin

doi:10.1159/000506192

An Association of Varicella Zoster Virus, Facial Palsy, and Meningitis in a Young Immunocompetent Male

Case Rep Neurol. 2020 Apr 28;12(1):136-139. doi: 10.1159/000506192. eCollection 2020 Jan-Apr.

Authors

Amr Ashour¹, Khaldun Obeidat¹, Bahjat Azrieh¹, Arwa Alsaud¹, Mohamed Yassin¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medical Education, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

Varicella zoster is a secondary infection caused by the virus of chickenpox, after becoming latent in neurons of dorsal root ganglia or trigeminal ganglia. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) can be reactivated years later to produce shingles (zoster), generally in immunocompromised adults to produce neurological deficits and rash. Meningeal involvement of VZV is also reported and can be diagnosed. Herein, we report a 39-year-old immunocompetent male adult with a rare manifestation caused by VZV. The report is an association between facial nerve palsy and a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed VZV meningitis, even without the dermal typical rash. The patient eventually recovered after receiving acyclovir intravenously.

Keywords: Cerebrospinal fluid; Cranial nerve palsy; Shingles; Varicella zoster virus.

Publication types

Case Reports